Gambia: Armed Men Spotted Camping Within Casamance-Foni Border

Reliable information gathered by Foroyaa from sources within Foni Brefet indicates that several armed men, believed to be MFDC rebels fighting for the independence of the Southern Casamance region of Senegal, were spotted within the Casamance not far from the Gambian side of the border.

The information added that the men were armed to the teeth with heavy guns and moving in jeeps covered with leaves and branches and some were seen walking on foot to a site where they dug trenches and started to build structures assumed to be a new base.

According to an eye witness, who is a hunter, he said he saw several heavily armed men around midnight on Saturday, 19 January, moving in their numbers on foot and with 3 jeeps to position at a site in the Casamance which is less than 500 metres from the border with The Gambia.

The eye witness also said that he saw the men digging trenches and filling sacks with sand and transporting them in jeeps and 2 trucks. The witness said he also saw 2 tractors filled with timber, logs and other building materials being driven by armed men to the site where they were digging trenches. He expressed his belief that the rebels are now building a new base at the said area.

The source also said he saw the rebels performing rituals by slaughtering a red bull and pouring libation at the site before they started to dig the trenches and filling the sacks with sand. He said he saw the rebels distributing among themselves piles of African jujus and charms. He stated that several ruminants and household materials were seen being brought to the new place. He added that he also saw the rebels piling different types of arms and ammunition and several wooden boxes and 3 heavy generators being brought in and stored in a makeshift tent. He noted that the rebels appeared to be in a happy mood and were jubilating by firing in the air and playing music. He added that he was scared to death and had to silently sneak out from the hiding place where he waited to lay ambush for bush animals.

AllAfrica publishes around 2,000 reports a day from more than 130 news organizations and over 200 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 2000 news and information items daily from over 130 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Monrovia, Nairobi and Washington DC.